


Communication Breakdown

by banquos_ghost



Series: Mad About The Boy [5]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Game Spoilers, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-20
Updated: 2016-05-20
Packaged: 2018-06-09 15:22:54
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6912724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/banquos_ghost/pseuds/banquos_ghost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><em>'Just when you think you're safe, that's when they get ya'</em> - a mantra often repeated by Marcy Long and one that had been easily dismissed by Nora. But that was before MacCready asked her to accompany him to Med-Tek.....</p>
<p>A few days ago  MacCready had finally trusted her enough to tell her about his wife and son.   The realisation of what that meant for her had hit her like a juggernaut.  Of course, once he had the cure for Duncan there was nothing to hold him here. Nothing. He'd be heading back to the Capital Wasteland to his waiting wife. He hadn't spelled it out. He hadn't needed to. What else would he do?  With a wife and sick child waiting for him it was surprising that he'd stuck around this long.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Crossed Wires

MacCready crouched by Sinjin's lifeless body shamelessly helping himself to anything useful he could carry. The way Nora had dealt with Sinjin had been a masterclass in persuasion and savagery, yet less than five minutes later she was putting all her efforts into checking on Kent, helping him back to his feet and reassuring him. As she stood by Kent her Silver Shroud trench coat emphasised and enhanced her feminine curves. _Fuck it._ MacCready thought _I'm going to ask her to come to Med-Tek with me._ With Nora at his side he could take on the world and win. The way they gelled as a team now those ferals wouldn't stand a chance. 

As MacCready gazed at the charming tableau formed by Nora and Kent it hit him. _He was happy._ For the first time in years he could feel life was something to look forward to. Not dread. If only Duncan was here with him safe and healthy he'd count himself a lucky man. It was about time he woke up and started claiming back his life. He'd ask Nora for help getting the cure. He'd do it today. 

\-----------

Nora could hold back the new day no longer, no matter how much she tried to wish it away. Beside her MacCready was sleeping soundly and oblivious to her night spent in the grip of insomnia. If she didn't get her act together she'd be too distracted to concentrate and end up putting them both in danger when they got to Med-Tek Research. 

As she stared at the cause of her misery her hungry eyes tracked every part of him in an attempt to commit him to her memory. Nora wanted more than a visual blueprint of him, she needed a contour map as well. Her hand inexorably crept towards him, she needed to devour him, be close to him and capture what she could of him while the chance was still there. She pulled back the sheet, revealing his bare chest. MacCready woke with a start as the cool air met his skin. Nora drank in the sight of him, fine chest hairs glinting in the first light of the sun peeping through the window slats. He smiled at her as he blinked, watery blue sleep-filled eyes adjusting to the light. Nora stroked his stomach whirling the soft downy hair and tracing it down where it darkened to a point leading down into his shorts .

'We'd better make an early start...' MacCready was eager to get this day he'd waited so long for underway. Nora made no reply save to carry on tracing her fingers over his chest. 'Nora?'

Nora leant over him and her lips meshed with his. Her tongue insinuated itself in his mouth with persistence and urgency. MacCready was momentarily diverted from his desire to seize the day, his lust filled thoughts assured him there was plenty of time seize other things instead. Nora's hands applied increasing pressure on his body, roaming his chest and making heart stopping sorties just under the waistband of his shorts. His cock was standing to attention, the need in Nora's caresses like a call to arms to which it duly responded without MacCready having much say in the matter. 

Nora noted his burgeoning erection with a small grunt of acknowledgment as her hand made one of its increasingly frequent expeditions into his shorts. She delved for treasure hungrily, her hand straining the material even further to grasp his cock and cup his balls. MacCready raised his hips to allow her to remove his shorts. Nora ceased kissing and caressing him and eyed MacCready with an air of cynical appraisal. 'What?' He demanded suddenly discombobulated and made self-aware by the cessation of action. 

Nora sat back on her haunches and flung the last remaining bit of sheet covering MacCready's legs to the floor. Her eyes ran the length of his naked body. 'Ok, you're freaking me out a bit now, Nora...'

Nora made no reply. She gazed at his feet. Less infatuated observers may have labelled them large and ungainly. To Nora they were objects of beauty and she wanted to savour every detail. The hardened whorls of skin on the soles, the hammer like shape of the long toes, the purple and yellow nail that had taken the brunt of a long forgotten injury. The high instep and the thin chiselled ankle bone. MacCready breathed a resigned sigh. Nora was in one of _those_ moods. Best just to go along with it, he closed his eyes and mentally buckled himself in for the ride. 

Nora carried on her appraisal of MacCready's naked body. The long lean legs with their sparse light brown hairs, worn away on the knees. The shins that formed a potted history of his life with their scars, bruises and small burn marks. Her eyes lingered on his cock, still hopefully erect and pulling his balls tightly bound in its wake. She made an unspoken promise to return her attention to it once she'd finished her visual tour of the things she loved about MacCready. His chest rose and fell, his muscles defined and his ribs hinted at under his skin, undulating with each breath. He was surprisingly muscular for one so thin. Now Nora moved on to one of her best loved features on the tour, his neck. It was long and graceful whilst still remaining eminently masculine. She longed to kiss it as soon as she focused on it, but before that she needed to examine his face. 

His eyes were closed, unsurprisingly he wasn't a big fan of submitting himself to such close scrutiny but she knew he tolerated it to indulge her. Tears prickled her eyes again blurring her vision, _he did it for her_. God she was going to miss him so much. _She needed to stop thinking like that right now_. Time to recommence her foot-to-head examination. Where was she? Oh yes, she'd reached his face, those defined cheek bones that had hooked her in from the start, along with his expressive blue eyes, which still remained resolutely closed. Those pools of life that could transform his facial expression from world weary cynicism and mistrust to carefree joy with one silly joke or a shared look of understanding between the two of them... Nora took a deep breath, OK, she was getting dangerously close to becoming overrun with emotion which would make her totally useless for the rest of the day. She owed it to MacCready to be at her best for this very last favour she would do for him. 

MacCready sensed Nora's eyes on his face. He half opened one eye and peered at her. Seeing her face trained on his in an unsettlingly intense way he flicked open both his eyes. A lopsided smile played around his lips 'Show's over, Nora'. He'd reached the limit of his tolerance for her staring at him, there was only so long he'd agree to submit to being examined like a juicy slab of steak in a butcher's shop window. He reached out and pulled her back down next to him. 

Her visual inventory of his assets cut short, Nora moved her attention back to the 'to do' list she'd compiled whilst conducting it. As she settled down beside MacCready on the bed she nuzzled into his neck. MacCready sighed, thankful that Nora's examination was complete and he had seemed to pass muster. Nora kissed and nipped his neck, breathing deeply to inhale the overarching aroma that was so uniquely his. She wished she could preserve that reassuring smell, of warm skin, tobacco, leather and that undefinable element that made it MacCready. 'Nora? Hadn't we better get going?' For once, the sound of his voice was unwelcome. 

'Oh please, Mac, just a few more minutes..?' She smoothed her hands over his chest seeking to cajole him into tarrying a little while longer. 

'I really think we should get going as soon as possible.. ' MacCready started to swing his legs over the edge of the bed in a determined effort to exit.

'Please, Mac?' She pawed at his shoulders as he sat on the edge of the bed. Her hands crept round his neck and she kneeled behind him massaging his shoulders and chest.

'I suppose another few minutes wouldn't hurt....' MacCready gulped as Nora's hand reached round and grasped his cock. She felt the familiar stirring in her blood as he started to respond to her. She slipped her vest and panties off and sat behind him with her legs wrapped around his hips. Her breasts pressed into his back as she reached down to continue teasing his cock. 

MacCready pushed himself back onto Nora and she pressed herself closer to him until she felt his warm skin deliciously firm against her pussy. His hands gripped Nora's thighs tightly, as the feelings from her hand pumping his cock started to build. As he began to settle in to the captivating rhythm Nora paused and moved round to face him. She straddled his lap and grasped his cock once more before teasingly running it around her pussy opening. MacCready groaned as he felt the moist warmth slick against the tip of his cock. He bucked his hips impatiently but Nora carried on hovering over his groin using his cock to pleasure her clit. He made little annoyed growls in the back of his throat but Nora ignored his blatant need and continued to use him in the most tantalising ways. She reached her free hand down and gently cupped his balls with it whilst the other hand on his cock started to pump. _Finally_ thought MacCready as he started to abandon himself to the feeling of her hand working his cock again. As he started to lose himself in the rhythm of her strokes once more, again she stopped and went back to using his cock to pleasure herself. MacCready groaned in frustration. 

Every noise of annoyance and want he made was a salve to her wounded pride. Though she hadn't articulated the feelings she still felt the subconscious need to deal him some small petty revenge for the hurt he piled on her. So she carried on mercilessly using him to stimulate herself.

Nora was starting to surrender to the warm glow of pleasure spreading through her body, as her thigh muscles started to tire she leaned into MacCready's shoulder, still rubbing herself with the tip of his cock, warm juices flooding from her pussy spilling down his shaft. MacCready held her close to him with one arm round her as her warm flushed forehead rested against his neck. His other arm reached out and he cradled one of her smooth buttock cheeks in his hand. 

He felt her warm breath fanning out over his shoulder as she used him for support while her climax wracked her body. His finger nails dug into the soft flesh of her buttock as he tightened with tension in empathy and envy with her sexual release. His tension heightened further as he felt a delicious tight wetness surround his cock as she slid herself down onto him, her pussy still pulsating and tremulous from the aftershock of her climax. He bucked his hips craving more tightness and friction. Nora's arms snaked around his shoulders and he felt the warmth radiate from her soft pliable breasts as she hugged tightly into his chest. Nora's legs wrapped around his back pulling him even closer as she sought to bury his cock in her as deeply as it would go, all thought of denying him what he craved evaporated in the heat of the moment. 

The soft moaning noises she made into his neck drove him to buck and thrust his hips even more forcefully than before. Nora started to counter thrust in a way that brought him ever closer to his own release. She kissed him dementedly, his morning stubble chafing her lips painfully but it only contrasted with the pleasure that was building in her, knowing that MacCready would be spilling his hot seed in her within a matter of moments. The thought of it was enough to push her over the edge, and she came in hot waves of feeling that crashed over her making her scream MacCready's name. MacCready carried on thrusting, Nora's pussy clamping down so tightly on him as she came it was almost painful. His ears were still ringing from the sound of his own name being shouted into them as his cum filled Nora and her name was torn from his lips in a quiet groan as he held her close.  
\------  
MacCready felt his heart aglow with positivity and excitement. By the end of the day they'd have the cure. He just knew it.


	2. Med-Tek

The journey to Med-Tek had been forgettable. Nora was too churned up inside to maintain more than a mask of normality. She was uncharacteristically taciturn and MacCready had filled the void between them with inconsequential chat and silly jokes that reflected his state of nervous excitement. There was an elephant in the room and she was damned if she'd be the first to break the pretence that neither of them were aware of it.

_He'd had a wife and family waiting for him the whole time._

As MacCready hadn't opened up again after his initial disclosure about leaving his family behind in the Capital Wasteland she had emulated an ostrich and kept her head firmly entrenched in the sand. The embargo on heart-to-heart conversation was one of the few things she had to be thankful for. If he had brought the subject up again she would have not been able to maintain the fragile composure she'd hidden behind these last few days. 

What a total bloody fool she'd been. She was nothing but a diversion for him. That was all. She didn't doubt he was fond of her, but as for reciprocating her love? Forget it. She'd been overreaching herself and rushing in like a naive idiot _again_. 

Much as she wanted to blame MacCready for the sick nausea and disappointment she felt inside he had never promised her _anything_. Sure, he was up for plenty of no-strings sex, but he was a long way from home and life was precarious. She could hardly blame him for availing himself of what was so readily offered. If MacCready was guilty of anything it was merely the sin of omission for not telling her about his situation from the start. She had just jumped in with both feet as per usual. In a perverse way she was happy he hadn't told her or she may have missed out on the _almost_ relationship they'd enjoyed together for the last few months.. The bottom line was he'd never been hers to keep in the first place. As long as she could keep pretending everything was business as usual she could just about hold her shit together. Once he'd gone, then she could rage and cry as much as she needed to. 

As they had got closer to Med-Tek Research the weather had turned stormy and large penny sized drops of rain had started to fall from the skies. By the time they approached the large metal clad edifice they were bedraggled and shivering with cold. The courtyard surrounding the building had been bristling with feral ghouls, which according to MacCready were the least of their worries compared to the horrors awaiting them inside the facility. 

'Right, here we go... I'll never forget what you're doing for me. I owe you so much..' MacCready was gabbling now they were actually about to enter Med-Tek Research. 

'Isn't that what you said _last time_ ,' Nora spoke sotto voce, not intending for MacCready to hear. 

'What was that?' MacCready asked distractedly as he pushed open the creaking metal door. He gave her a glancing kiss on the cheek. 'You're not having second thoughts are you? 

'Of course not. If the cure's in here we'll find it, I promise. Let's get on with it then,' stepping over the threshold Nora switched into business mode. 

It was a relief to get out of the icy cold rain. There appeared to be no immediate threat so they sat and allowed their eyes to adjust to the dim light within the cathedral-like lobby before entering the heart of the building. The facility was overrun with feral ghouls. They were everywhere, and some were locked in cells and as such didn't represent a threat.

'Let's open the cells and kill them anyway' Nora wanted to put the ferals out of their misery but MacCready argued vehemently against it. 

'I just lurve taking unnecessary risks...' MacCready had snapped back sarcastically at her. Nora couldn't argue with MacCready's logic. They had their work cut out for them just dealing with the mass of ferals roaming free. 

After despatching legions of ferals they had arrived at the chief executive's former office and found the terminal easily from the green glow emanating from it. The password that MacCready had obtained from Sinclair had allowed them to logon to the system and cancel the security lockdown. One step closer to the cure. One step closer to the end. 

The lower level was worse than anything that the upper levels had thrown at them. They encountered wave upon wave of ferals ghouls locked in cells which had to be opened to allow access to the lower level which was most likely to contain the cure . Nora shuddered to think how long the ghouls had been trapped down there. The thought that they were probably human when the facility first went into lockdown was too awful to dwell on. 

They carried on moving down the building towards the basement. They must be closing in on the cure now. There was nowhere else left to look, the whole building had been combed from top to bottom barring this one area. Nora peered into a refrigerator, jumping involuntarily at the macabre scene inside. Two teddy bears artfully arranged to simulate a cuddling couple. It was if the whole world was conspiring to mock her. Without compunction she shot the teddies' heads off. 

'What did they ever do to you?! What a waste of time and ammo. Stop mucking around and lets get this cure,' MacCready was not amused, but then Nora had never intended to amuse. 

The lab in the basement was locked via a terminal. There were few remaining ferals in the lab that were tougher to get rid of than the previous ones, when the terminal controlled door had swung open they had spilled out and launched a vicious attack on Nora and MacCready. It would take more than a few feral ghouls to stop them now they'd come this far, and they were despatched with cool efficiency. 'The cure has to be in here. There's nowhere else left to look.' Nora gesticulated to MacCready to enter the lab, 'Lead on..'

'Could you do it? I'm so scared it won't be there...' MacCready was finding the tension unbearable.

Nora understood, she was shaking with nerves and adrenaline herself, with so much at stake no wonder MacCready was stymied. Nora entered the lab tentatively. MacCready hung back outside the door. 

Nora scanned the gruesome room. There it was - just lying on the table, right next to a dissected skeleton. The little red container of Prevent was exactly as MacCready had described it. Nora stood looking at it for a few moments, conflicted feelings raging through her. There it was. The end of everything for her and MacCready, but a last chance for his son. Mercifully MacCready would be carrying hope back to the Capital Wasteland rather than returning empty handed. With a final decisive movement Nora scooped the vial up and carefully swaddled it in a t-shirt that she took from her bag. She made a search around the room to see if there were any more batches of Prevent to take for back-up but there were no other vials to be seen, the one she had in her bag was the only one. She took it out to MacCready, who requested that she look after it as his hands were still shaking too much and he was scared of dropping it. 

They exited the building as quickly as they were able to, happy to put a distance between themselves and the horrors within. 

This was it then. Time for her to let go of her borrowed happiness. Time to let go and for MacCready to return to his family. She pressed the cure into his hand. 

'I don't believe it! We did it we actually did it!' MacCready was ecstatic. He gave Nora a massive bear hug before taking her by the shoulders and looking deep into her eyes. 'I have one last favour to ask you...'  
  
_Here it comes_ thought Nora, _He's going to start talking about his arrangements to go back to the Capital Wasteland now._ She stuck her chin out, determined not to breakdown and to handle their parting with dignity. She owed it to MacCready to let him go remembering her as she was now, not a broken, begging wreck. 

'We just need to get the cure to Daisy in Goodneighbor, with her caravan contacts she'll make sure it gets to Duncan'

'Pardon?' Nora thought she wasn't hearing right. Daisy? Goodneighbor? Caravans? What the hell was he talking about? Nora looked at MacCready agape. 

MacCready looked back at Nora quizzically and started talking to her as if she were a simpleton...'Hellooo... Earth calling Nora....'

'Aren't you taking it back to the Capital Wasteland yourself then?' She whispered, not daring to hear the answer. 

Again MacCready was looking at her as if she had taken leave of her senses. 'Er... No?'

'But what about your wife?' 

'My wife is dead...'

'Oh.' Oh shit. When it came to faux pas Nora had won the gold medal. _Again_. 'Oh'. 

MacCready was still looking at Nora quizzically. 'Nora do you mean to say you actually thought I'd left my wife behind and was merrily banging you the whole time....?'

Nora shifted uncomfortably and wouldn't meet MacCready's eyes. 'Umm...yeah...'

MacCready was shaking his head. 'What the heck goes on in that head of yours? You must think I'm a complete asshole but you still want to be with me? Well I must be one hell of a catch! And there was I thinking you _liked_ me.. You are just _full_ of surprises '

_I'm not the only one_ Nora thought. Great. Now what? She wasn't exactly going to hang out the bunting because MacCready had a dead spouse. 'What about Duncan? Don't you need to look after him?' She'd already made the daddy of all faux pas so another one to add to the collection wouldn't signify and she'd had enough pussyfooting around. She wanted answers. 

'Duncan is in Little Lamplight. When Lucy died I couldn't look after a small child and earn caps as a mercenary at the same time. I had to leave him there. At least he's safe. I couldn't bring him with me. He was too weak to make the journey and even if he had I'd still have had to make a living'. 

'Oh...'

Now it was MacCready's turn to look uncomfortable. 'I was... I was kind of hoping that maybe.. After we'd found your son...Duncan could join us. We'd all be able to make a home. Here. In the Commonwealth. Together.'

Nora stared at MacCready in disbelief. He'd been thinking all that? The man had severe communication problems... Or maybe she was just terrible at reading between the lines.  
'So you're not leaving me then?' A straight question deserved a straight answer...but MacCready had never been a simple yes-or-no man. 

He came and scooped her up in a hug and kissed her softly on the lips. 'I intend walking this earth with you until the day I die. Does that give you enough of a clue?' 

For once MacCready's message was received and understood in exactly the way he had intended.  
Nora smiled. What a difference a day made. She had gone from broken to whole in less than 24 hours. 'Yes, I think I can live with that....'

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!  
> **Any comments gratefully received***  
> Accompanying pictures etc for this fic on my tumblr pages : [thebanquosghost](http://thebanquosghost.tumblr.com/tagged/fanfic)  
> Nora's reactions were based on MacCready's affinity speeches- he doesn't reveal Lucy died until his very last one! On my first play through I remember wondering why he left her behind. It's not until he 'idolizes' that he really opens up, so I tried to imagine how Nora would react to his request to help him at Med-Tek with only the facts he's prepared to reveal at this stage to go on.


End file.
